Bottom holding structure for a frameless window screen



A. LANG BOTTOM HOLDING STRUCTURE FOR A FRAMELESS WINDOW SCREEN Filed Oct. 20 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l m w W.

Irma :21

April 12, 1955 A. LANG 2,705,997

BOTTOM HOLDING STRUCTURE FOR A FRAMELESS WINDOW SCREEN Filed Oct. 20 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. 445:?)- 0W5 United States Patent BOTTOM HOLDING STRUCTURE FOR A FRAMELESS WINDOW SCREEN Albert Lang, Oakland, Calif.

Application October 20, 1951, Serial No. 252,238

1 Claim. (Cl. 160-328) This invention relates to frameless window screen constructions and particularly to a bottom screen edge holding structure for a frameless window screen.

A main object of the present invention is to provide a bottom screen edge holding structure constructed to removably frictionally support a sill-engaging sealing member.

Another main object of the present invention is to provide a frameless window screen construction including a bottom holding strip secured to the lower end of a sheet of screen material and having a flat vertical portion extending toward the sill of a window frame, there being a sealing strip retaining member secured at its upper end to the vertical portion of the holding strip and having a depending portion registering with, disposed generally parallel to and slightly spaced from said vertical portion, and which construction includes a sill-engaging sealing strip having a portion interposed vertically between the previously mentioned portions in yieldable frictional contact therewith for vertical movement relative thereto.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a construction as described in the immediately above paragraph in which there are means for detachably securing the holding strip to the lower end of the window frame, which means includes a latching member forming an extension of the retaining member and latchably engaging a fixed latching member secured to the lower end of the window frame.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a window construction, including a window frame, and a frameless window screen secured at its upper end to the upper end of the frame and detachably secured to the lower end of the frame by a bottom screen edge holding structure having a pair of latching brackets, detachably engaging fixed latching members secured to the lower end of the frame, and in which construction the fixed latching members have laterally protruding studs and the latching brackets have horizontal camming portions adapted to be cammed under the studs by manipulation of offset handles on the brackets to tension the screen.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a window construction as described in the immediately above paragraph in which there is a sealing strip, and in which the latching brackets are designed to co-act with a bottom screen edge holding strip for frictionally retaining and supporting the sealing strip.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a window construction as described in said immediately above paragraph wherein the fixed latching members are fixedly secured to the lower ends of the jambs of the window frame to leave the sill unobstructed.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a window construction as described in said immediately above paragraph in which there are depressions formed in the latching brackets adapted when registering with the studs on the fixed latching members to partially relieve the tension imposed on the frameless screen to thereby yieldably latch the brackets in place.

Various other objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section through a window screen construction showing in full lines the bottom edge of a frameless window screen detachably secured to the lower end of a window frame, and showing in dot-dash lines the bottom edge of the frameless screen detached from the lower end of the window frame.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken along line 22 of Fig. 1 showing a latching bracket as being latched to a fixed latching member.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation view of the bottom screen edge holding structure.

Fig. 4 is a vertical mid-section taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view of a modified bottom holding structure for a frameless window screen, the parts being shown in side elevation.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the bottom holding structure disclosed in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top view of the latching bracket disclosed in Fig. 5 with a portion broken away for purposes of illustration.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view, taken transversely of the latching bracket and latching screw, showing in dotted lines the manner of yieldably latching the bracket onto the screw.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing a modified form of latching bracket and latching screw.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view taken in vertical crosssection through a bottom holding structure for a frameless window screen.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the bottom holding structure disclosed in Fig. 10.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the construction disclosed in Fig. 1 includes a window frame having a head 9, a sill 11 and jambs 13, one of which jambs is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Adapted to cover the opening of this window frame is a frameless window screen 15 assuming the form of a flexible sheet of screen material and secured at its upper end by a top holding structure generally entitled 17 to the header 9 of the window frame. The top holding structure 17 may take any suitable form, the particular form disclosed being a top holding structure such as disclosed in my prior co-pending application entitled Top Holding Device for Wire Screen, Serial No. 23,348, filed April 26, 1948, now abandoned.

The bottom edge of frameless screen 15 is detachably secured to the lower end of the window frame by a bottom holding structure generally entitled 19 in a manner so as to dispose the side edges of screen 15 against the outer faces of jambs 13. Bottom holding structure 19 includes a bottom holding strip 21 reversely bent at its upper edge to receive the folded end 15a of frameless screen 15. Bottom holding strip 21 is inwardly bent at 21a and then downwardly bent to provide a flat vertical portion 21b and then bent outwardly to provide a portion 21c.

Bottom holding strip 21 is adapted to be detachably secured to the lower end of the window frame by the coaction of a pair of latching brackets generally entitled 23, one of which is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and a pair of fixed latching members 25, one of which is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

For purposes of convenience in description only one latching bracket will be described in detail. Latching bracket 23 has an upper marginal portion secured by rivets 27 to the upper portion of the vertical portion 21b of bottom holding strip 21. Latching bracket 23 assumes the form of a sheet metal bracket and is bent inwardly at 230 and then downwardly to provide a depending portion 23b registering with, generally parallel to and slightly spaced from flat vertical portion 21b of the bottom holding strip 21. A still-engaging sealing strip 29 has the upper portion thereof interposed vertically between portions 21b and 23b of the bottomholding strip 21 and latching bracket 23 respectively, in yieldable frictional engagement therewith for frictional vertical movement with respect thereto. The lower margin of sealing strip 29 is preferably turned outwardly to provide a good contact with the sill 11.

As is apparent from Fig. l, sealing strip 29 is shiftable upwardly or downwardly relative to the latching bracket 23 and bottom holding strip 21 to ensure good contact with sill 11, but the sealing strip will be prevented from falling out of the bottom holding structure 19, during handling thereof prior to and during latching of the bottom holding structure in place, by the frictional engagement of latching brackets 23 and bottom holding strip 21, the latching brackets being assisted by a third member to be described.

Each latching bracket 23 is reversely bent at 23c to provide a depression or concavity for purposes to be described and then is bent outwardly to provide a generally horizontal portion which is preferably slightly upwardly inclined as shown in Fig. 1. The horizontal portion may be divided for purposes of description into a camming portion 23d, which terminates in an outer edge substantially coplanar with remainder of the camming portion, and a portion 23:: which has an outer handle extension 23 bent upwardly and then reversely bent downwardly to provide a handle by which the latching bracket may be manipulated. As is clearly apparent from Fig. 2, the handle portion 23 is laterally offset from the track or camming portion 230. so as to clear the same for movement relatively thereacross of a laterally extending stud 25a formed on a flange 25b of the asociated fixed latching member 25, as shown in the Figs. 1 and 2. The laterally protruding stud 25a may be formed in any suitable manner but the particular formation shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is constructed by reversely bending a lower protruding portion of flange 25b.

Each fixed latching member 25 is secured to a stop 31 formed on the associated jarnb 13, as shown in Fig. 2, by screws 33 receivable through elongated slots 35 formed in each of the fixed latching members.

The manner of detachably latching the lower end of frameless screen 15 to the lower end of the window frame proceeds as follows. With the latching brackets each assuming the position of the dot-dash latching bracket shown in Fig. 1, the outer free ends of the camming portions 23d of the latching brackets are fitted under the associated laterally protruding studs 25a, such fitting under being readily possible because the outer ends of the camming portions terminate at a level substantially coplanar with the remainders of the camming portions and also because the outer ends of the camming portions are disposed farther from the upper edge of bottom holding strip 21, about which the bottom holding structure swings, than the inner ends of the camming portions. Thereafter, by manipulation of handles 23 the remainders of the camming portions 23d are cammed under the latching stud 25s to progressively tension the flexible screen 15.

Just prior to the depressed portions 23c of the latching brackets 23 registering with laterally protruding studs 25a, the flexible screen 15 is tensioned to an extent slightly greater than necessary to normally tension the screen.

Thereafter, when the depressed portions 230 are brought into registry with the laterally protruding studs 25a, the studs snap into the depressions and relieve the excess tension on the screen to yieldably latch the latching brackets in place to prevent the latching brackets from being unlatched by tampering by unauthorized persons stationed outside the window.

Although the bottom holding structure cannot be detached by manipulation by a person stationed outside the window, it may be readily detached by a combined downward and outward force on handles 23 to cam the laterally protruding studs 25:: out of the depressions 23c and onto the higher parts of the camming portions and then off the ends of the camming portions 23d.

As previously mentioned, the sealing strip 29 is frictionally retained in place by the co-action of the vertical portions 23b and 21b of the latching brackets 23 and bottom holding strip 21 respectively, but to assist these latching brackets in supporting the sealing member a third sealing strip retaining member (previously mentioned) is provided and given the reference numeral 37 (see Figs. 3 and 4). As is apparent by a comparison of Fig. 4 and Fig. l, sealing strip retaining member 37 is identical in shape with the part of a latching bracket 23 including the upper reversely bent margin and the vertical portion 23b. Sealing strip retaining member 37 therefore includes an upper margin secured to vertical portion 21b of bottom holding strip 21 by rivets 39 and is inwardly bent at 37a to provide a depending portion 37b which registers with, is parallel to and slightly spaced from vertical portion 21b of bottom holding strip 21. Therefore, sealing strip 29 is frictionally retained in place and supported by the co-action of both of the different reference numeral.

latching brackets 23 and the sealing strip retaining member 37 with the bottom holding strip 21.

Although the camming portions 23d of the latching brackets 23 are not turned downwardly at their outer free ends, they could be readily so formed, such construction being considered to be equivalent to that shown in the drawings. Therefore, what is meant when it is stated that the outer end of a camming portion terminates at a level substantially coplanar with the remainder of the camming portion, is that there is no upwardly protruding flange to interfere with the movement of a stud directly onto the outer end of the track portion. Therefore, the outer edge of the camming portion of a bracket terminates in either an edge which is not turned downwardly (that is, which is coplanar with the remainder of the camming portion) or a downwardly turned edge.

Referring to Figs. 5 through 8, a modified form of the invention is disclosed, which modified form includes a frameless window screen 15, a bottom holding strip 21, a sealing strip 29 and two latching brackets 41, one of which is shown and which is sufiiciently diflferent from the latching bracket disclosed in Fig. 1 to be given a Each latching bracket is secured to a flat vertical portion 21b of the bottom holding strip 21 by its upper margin, which margin is notched to provide a centrally disposed upwardly extending tab 41a and two laterally disposed tabs 41b, disposed one on either side of tab 41a, tab 41a engaging the rear face of strip 21 and tabs 41b being receivable through slots formed in bottom holding strip 21 and bent upwardly as shown in Fig. 5 to engage the front face of strip 21 to secure the bracket to the bottom holding strip 21. The tabs 41b could be optionally bent downwardly instead of upwardly to provide a securing action.

Each latching bracket is bent rearwardly or inwardly at 41c and then downwardly to provide a portion 410! disposed in registry with, parallel to and slightly spaced from portion 21b of bottom holding strip 21 to co-act with portion 21b to frictionally hold sealing strip 29 in place. A centrally disposed sealing strip retaining member (not shown but similar to the one shown in Figs. 3 and 4) is provided to assist latching brackets 41 in supporting sealing strip 29.

Each latching bracket 41 is bent outwardly and slightly upwardly to provide a generally horizontal portion 41e slotted centrally at 41 to accommodate a fixed securing screw 43 secured to the window sill 11.

Slot 41 in each bracket preferably has the side margins thereof defining the slot bent downwardly, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. The inner end of slot 41 is enlarged as is apparent from Fig. 8 to provide a formation which cooperates with the frusto-conical underside of the head of securing screw 43 to provide a detenting action at the inner end of the bracket for yieldingly latching the bracket on the securing screw.

Each bracket 41 has an upwardly extending free end at 41g reversely bent at the upper end thereof to provide a handle. Handle portion 41g has an enlarged opening 41h formed therein to permit the head of the associated securing screw 43 to readily pass therethrough and onto thle side margins of horizontal portion 41c defining slot When it is desired to unlatch the brackets, the handles of latching brackets 41 are pushed downwardly and outwardly to cam the heads of latching screws 43 out of the expanded portions onto the higher portions of the latching brackets and cam the heads along the slot out through the openings 41h. When it is desired to latch the latching brackets in place to tension the screen 15, the latching brackets are manipulated through the medium of handles 41g to pass the handle portions over the heads of the latching screw 43s so that the heads pass through the openings 41h and onto the side margins defining slots 41]. The securing screw will be operable to progressively downwardly tension screen 15 as the enlarged ends of the slots approach the screws. When the enlarged ends register with the heads of the screws, there will be a slight upward movement of the brackets relative to the screws relieving excess tension on the screen and placing the screen under a normal tension to hold it against the outer faces of the jambs 13, and yieldingly latching the brackets in place.

Although the form of the invention disclosed in Figs. 5 through 8 includes a latching bracket in which the inner end of the slot is enlarged, it is obvious that the inner end of the slot can be depressed to achieve a similar result, such a modification being disclosed in Fig. 9. In Fig. 9, a fragment of a latching bracket 41 is disclosed, the fragment disclosed being the horizontal portion 4le of the latching bracket having a slot 41 formed therein. The inner end of the slot is stamped or punched to depress the inner end of the slot so that when the head of a securing screw 45 registers therewith the latching bracket is permitted a slight upward movement relative to the head from the solid line position shown in Fig. 9 to the dotted line position to provide a detenting action to yieldingly latch the latching bracket onto the latching screw. The particular form of the latching screw head disclosed in Fig. 9 is not intended to be a limitation since it is obvious that many other types of headed screws or members can be substituted for the member 47 and be considered equivalent thereof. The difierence between latching screw 47 and latching screw 43 is of course that the latching screw 47 does not have a downwardly facing frustoconical surface as does latching screw 43 and, therefore, the head of latching screw 47 must fit in a depression in order to provide a workable detenting action.

Figs. 10 and 11 show a further modified form of the invention including a frameless screen 15, a bottom holding strip 21 having secured thereto at the upper end thereof a sealing strip retaining member 51 by rivets 53. The sealing strip retaining member 51 is outwardly bent to provide a depending portion 51a registering with, parallel to and spaced slightly from a flat vertical portion 21b of the bottom holding strip 21. A sealing strip 29 frictionally fits between portions 51a and 21b.

Member 51 is secured to the sill 11 by having a reversely bent upwardly facing portion 51b receiving and being engaged by an inverted U-shaped member 55 urged downwardly by a nut 57 threaded onto a threaded stud 59 screwed into the sill 11. In this form of the invention, as in the previously described forms of the invention, it is contemplated that normal use will require two such latching arrangements as shown in Fig. 10, although one only has been described.

By the present invention, an improved inexpensive construction has been provided by which a sealing strip can be frictionally held in place, but which sealing strip is adapted to be moved relative to its holding structure to permit it to sealingly engage the sill of a window frame. Furthermore, in some bottom holding structures where the fixed latching members are secured to the sill, a template is normally provided for locating the positions of the holes into which the fixed securing members fit. Such an arrangement is described in my co-pending application entitled Screen Hardware and Method of Applying the Same, Serial No. 156,356, filed April 17, 1950. By virtue of the frictional engagement and support of sealing strip 29, the sealing strip can be readily removed for this purpose, and then again inserted back in place when the locations for the fixed latching members are determined.

The present invention also provides a window construction in which a novel bottom holding structure is provided for detachably securing the bottom edge of a frameless screen to the lower end of the window frame. A further advantageous construction provided by the present invention is the dual function performed by a latching bracket, which not only detachably engages a fixed latching member on the lower end of the window frame but co-acts with a vertical portion on a bottom hflding strip for frictionally holding a sealing strip in p ace.

While I have shown the preferred forms of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in their construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as'defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A frameless window screen construction comprising a sheet of screen material adapted to be secured at its upper end to the upper end of a window frame, means for detachably securing the lower end of the sheet of screen material to the lower end of the window frame comprising a flat sheet metal bottom screen edge holding strip secured along its upper edge to the bottom edge of the screen material, a sheet metal latch member having a vertical flange fixed to said bottom edge holding strip adjacent each end thereof in parallel relation thereto and spaced slightly therefrom, a generally horizontal flange formed integral with and extending inwardly from the lower end of said vertical flange, a semicircular depression formed in said horizontal flange adjacent the lower end of said vertical flange, a vertically extending handle portion formed integral with and extending upwardly from the inner edge of said horizontal flange, one edge of said handle portion being coplanar with the edge of said latch member away from the window frame and the other edge of said handle portion being spaced from the other edge of said latch member approximately one-half the width of said latch member, a flat sealing strip slidably received in the space between said bottom edge holding strip and the vertical flange of said latch member and adapted to contact the sill of said window frame, a pair of L-shaped sheet metal latch brackets one flange of each being fastened to the side of said window frame, the other flange of each extending parallel to said bottom edge holding strip and having its lower end bent inwardly to form a semicircular rigid latch pin for cooperation with the semicircular depression in the horizontal flange of said latch member, the latch pin terminating short of the edge of said handle member nearest thereto, the edge of the latch bracket flange parallel to the bottom edge holding strip being tapered outwardly and upwardly from the terminal end of the latch pin to the juncture between the latch bracket flanges, whereby said tapered edge cooperates with the edge of the handle portion of the latch member to center the bottom edge of the screen as the latch member is brought into engagement with the latch bracket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

